The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015, are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 23, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

The fact that Albert Einstein
uttered his first words later in life than most children inspired this quirky,
endearing tribute to the famous scientist and humanitarian.

“Albie, as everyone called Albert,
liked to do all the things other children did.” This sentence floats in white
space above an intriguing piece of artwork, nicely framed within an oval shape:
In muted tones of amber, a boy clad in 19th-century clothes is leaping over
black-and-white tiles and then over a threshold into a just-barely-seen,
brighter room. The artwork’s subliminal message compels readers to turn the
page. Thereafter, the text intersperses its tale of a mute little boy with
nuggets of historical and cultural reality describing the lives of the German
upper middle class in the late 1800s. There are even some German words. The
simple story is told with heart, suspense and gentle humor. The complementary
artwork features appropriately detailed backgrounds and beautiful chiaroscuro
juxtaposed with an Albie whose body exhibits exaggerated toddler proportions
and whose face looks modeled in clay. Readers of all ages will enjoy the wise
and witty climax, and older readers will appreciate the endpapers—reproduced
from Einstein’s “Zürich Notebook”—and the thoughtful author’s note.

More than a distinctive introduction
to Albert Einstein, this book promotes both understanding of difference and
scientific curiosity. (glossary, photograph) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

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